The always creative folks at the Oregon Trail Red Cross are again running their successful National Preparedness Month contest, #just1thing.
To enter, tweet just one thing that you’re doing to get prepared for emergencies to @RedCrossPDX and use the hashtag #just1thing.
It’s a terrific contest — fun, spurs action and creates a good preparedness list.Â Anyone can share [...]

The always helpful and creative folks at the Cross Blog have offered some preparedness-related ideas for those still looking for costumes in a post titled,Â “Halloween Red Cross-Style”:
“If you’re also having a hard time figuring out a costume for this year, I’ve got some inspiration for you. How about showing off your Red Cross knowledge and [...]

I had the great pleasure to be a guest on the latest episode of the “Ready Radio” show co-hosted by Robin Parker and Lise Harwin. Parker and Harwin are the impresarios (or as they might say it, imprep-e-sarios) behindÂ the terrific Cross Blog of the Oregon Trail Red Cross.
In the segment, we discuss how I got [...]

From the same folks who brought you the Cross Blog comes “Ready Radio”, an internet-based biweekly show dedicated to emergency preparedness and related subjects. I just listened to the first episode, and I can tell you that hosts Lise Harwin and Robin Parker of the Red Cross/Oregon Trail Chapter bring the same creativity, enthusiasm and [...]

In his weekly radio/video address, President Obama addressed the government’s response to the H1N1 flu outbreak. One new topic he raised was the role of social media in communicating with the citizenry. As the President said: “The White House has launched pages on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to support the ongoing efforts by the CDC [...]

I am always on the lookout for new ways of making preparedness fun and engaging. Often, I find such ideas percolating at the Portland-area chapter of the American Red Cross. ItsÂ Cross Blog reports that one of theirÂ ”Singles CPR”Â events has resulted not only in more prepared Oregonians but also a romantic match”:
That’s right…two attendees are now [...]

As someone now benefiting from periodic transfusions, I’ve been promoting the importance of blood and platelet donations. I am also always on the lookout for innovative consumer marketing approaches in the preparedness area. So, I wanted to highlight two ideas I heard about recently.
First, I learned that the New York Blood Center has a ‘frequent [...]

Beginning Monday, my friends fromÂ Cross Blog, the website of the Oregon Red Cross, are going blog-to-blog against the Portland Water Bureau’s Water Blog in a ‘Blog-Off’.Â It is yet another attempt by the Cross Bloggers to make the work of the Red Cross and the subject of preparedness more accessible,Â engaging and fun.Â
I am impressed by the [...]

I had a good weekendÂ ofÂ crossÂ blogging with Robin Parker and Lise KerwinÂ of Cross Blog, the terrificÂ blog of the Red Cross’ Oregon chapter. I wanted to mention one more thing about Cross Blog that I think is worth noting: aÂ typically playful, eye-catchingÂ post on SaturdayÂ titled “Can CPR Get You A Date”Â listed several Portland, OregonÂ Craig’s List postings of potential [...]

One of the important goals ofÂ the American Red Cross’ Social Media Unit I just visited in WashingtonÂ isÂ drawing from (and spreading) creativeÂ preparedness 2.0 work being done in their chapters around the country.
ThisÂ week,Â theyÂ invitedÂ Robin Parker, one of the founders of the OregonÂ chapter’s Cross Blog,Â to headquartersÂ in Washington to helpÂ outÂ with their social mediaÂ efforts inÂ response to the Midwest floods.Â Â Â
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